Donate here to support
Donation protected
"Burmese seaman dies at sea but his Korean employer keeps his wages and entitlements"
From the 17th – 24th April I have a window to swim the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand.
In my work, I regularly see unfair and outrageous treatment of seafarers and their families but one case has stayed with me after meeting a Burmese widow and hearing her sad story. I have been deeply moved by her unjust and criminal treatment and see an opportunity to offer her some international support. I dedicate this swim to her husband, a fellow seafarer who I never met, Mr Tun Tun Hla. He died at work on a ship after spending seventeen long months away from home working to provide for his young family.
Burmese Bosun, Tun Tun Hla left his pregnant wife and daughter in Burma early in 2012, to join the Korean-owned ship, Sea Orion. He was killed in an un-investigated accident on board, while the ship was docked in Japan. Tun Tun had kept most of his wages on board in the captain’s cabin for safe keeping. Under international law, the Korean company “SK Maritime” was liable to pay the widow, Mrs Thandar Ye Myint, compensation of $30,000 after the accident. Not much but in Burma it’s the difference between survival and devastation.
As soon as Tun Tun’s body was sent home, the captain sent Tun Tun’s saved wages back to the company in Korea. A few months later the company claimed to have paid Thandar all outstanding money. Incredibly, they claimed that this was done by transferring funds to various bank accounts in London and that this was arranged through email communications directly with her in English. The facts are that she has never travelled outside of Burma, she cannot speak English and despite all our efforts, neither the company, nor their insurers, have paid a cent to Thandar and her family of the compensation or the wages Tun Tun had so carefully put away for them.
When a seafarer leaves to join a ship, he or she should have the right to expect that if anything happens to them that their family will be protected in any way possible and that they will receive their personal belonging, as well as rightful and fair compensation. My organization “The ITF” is charged with the protection of international transport workers but has unfortunately exhausted all legal and industrial avenues to make this company accountable. Their ships do not come within our reach and the trail of evidence will not be pursued by any international law enforcement agency. I have been personally involved in this case for four years now and am outraged that the Korean company has gone to such lengths to deprive this poor woman from her rightful compensation and husband’s stolen wages.
By swimming to raise money for her I am hoping to help provide shelter and food for her family and perhaps a modest education for the children. Thandar is only surviving on handouts to keep her and her kids off the street but is currently facing destitution. In the same theme “Swim for
Seafarers” Im asking for donations to an account from which every last cent will be delivered to Thandar. Please donate and help make a huge change to one woman and her kids.
From the 17th – 24th April I have a window to swim the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand.
In my work, I regularly see unfair and outrageous treatment of seafarers and their families but one case has stayed with me after meeting a Burmese widow and hearing her sad story. I have been deeply moved by her unjust and criminal treatment and see an opportunity to offer her some international support. I dedicate this swim to her husband, a fellow seafarer who I never met, Mr Tun Tun Hla. He died at work on a ship after spending seventeen long months away from home working to provide for his young family.
Burmese Bosun, Tun Tun Hla left his pregnant wife and daughter in Burma early in 2012, to join the Korean-owned ship, Sea Orion. He was killed in an un-investigated accident on board, while the ship was docked in Japan. Tun Tun had kept most of his wages on board in the captain’s cabin for safe keeping. Under international law, the Korean company “SK Maritime” was liable to pay the widow, Mrs Thandar Ye Myint, compensation of $30,000 after the accident. Not much but in Burma it’s the difference between survival and devastation.
As soon as Tun Tun’s body was sent home, the captain sent Tun Tun’s saved wages back to the company in Korea. A few months later the company claimed to have paid Thandar all outstanding money. Incredibly, they claimed that this was done by transferring funds to various bank accounts in London and that this was arranged through email communications directly with her in English. The facts are that she has never travelled outside of Burma, she cannot speak English and despite all our efforts, neither the company, nor their insurers, have paid a cent to Thandar and her family of the compensation or the wages Tun Tun had so carefully put away for them.
When a seafarer leaves to join a ship, he or she should have the right to expect that if anything happens to them that their family will be protected in any way possible and that they will receive their personal belonging, as well as rightful and fair compensation. My organization “The ITF” is charged with the protection of international transport workers but has unfortunately exhausted all legal and industrial avenues to make this company accountable. Their ships do not come within our reach and the trail of evidence will not be pursued by any international law enforcement agency. I have been personally involved in this case for four years now and am outraged that the Korean company has gone to such lengths to deprive this poor woman from her rightful compensation and husband’s stolen wages.
By swimming to raise money for her I am hoping to help provide shelter and food for her family and perhaps a modest education for the children. Thandar is only surviving on handouts to keep her and her kids off the street but is currently facing destitution. In the same theme “Swim for
Seafarers” Im asking for donations to an account from which every last cent will be delivered to Thandar. Please donate and help make a huge change to one woman and her kids.
Organizer
Dean Swimmer
Organizer
Haymarket NSW
